Amtrak Service Disrupted in Baltimore

According to the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, Amtrak passenger rail service has been disrupted in the Baltimore area today. Overhead wire problems caused a complete halt of Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia service for four hours. Service has since been restored on two out of three lines, but Amtrak has reported delays spanning from 30 to 45 minutes. Travelers planning to use Amtrak’s New York to Washington service have also been affected. Amtrak officials assure travelers that passenger service between New York and Boston will not experience any delays. Amtrak is offering a refund for travelers who elect not to travel as a result of this service disruption.

The delays in Baltimore come at an unfortunate time, as there is little doubt that Amtrak trains have been a key mode of transportation for travelers this Memorial Day weekend. While a four hours stop in service is not ideal and is likely a great cause of frustration for passengers, Amtrak should be commended for working to restore service as fast as possible. For the sake of passengers and their families, one can only hope that Washington to Philadelphia/New York service will be fully restored without any delay as soon as possible and that the holiday weekend will conclude without any additional incidents.